Athletics: Big task for 100m champ

SHEFFIELD - World 100m champion Kim Collins believes he will need to run faster than he ever has to retain his title in Helsinki next month.

Collins was a surprise winner in Paris two years ago in the slowest final since the first world championships were held in 1983.

The 29-year-old has personal best of 9.98s, set in 2002, still way short of the world record 9.77s run by Jamaican Asafa Powell last month.

"The way things are looking now, it looks like 9.8s or 9.9s is going to do it," said Collins yesterday.

Collins clocked his fastest time of the season on Saturday - 10.00s - when finishing third to Olympic champion Justin Gatlin at the London Grand Prix.

"Hopefully I'll be able to go much faster in Helsinki," said Collins. I may have a good day and cause another upset."

It is not clear if the world's fastest man, Powell, will line up in Helsinki after he pulled up in the London race with a groin problem.

- REUTERS